Assembly Resolution No. 215

BY: M. of A. Gibbs

MEMORIALIZING Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim
June 7-13, 2023, as Heart Rhythm Week in the State
of New York

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize
official weeks that are set aside to increase awareness of serious
issues that affect the lives of citizens of New York State; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, it is the sense of this Legislative Body to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim June 7-13, 2023, as Heart
Rhythm Week in the State of New York, in conjunction with the observance
of World Heart Rhythm Week; and

WHEREAS, Organized by the Arrhythmia Alliance, World Heart Rhythm
Week is a chance for people across the globe to take part in the world's
biggest awareness campaign about arrhythmias and the importance of
understanding our heart rates; and

WHEREAS, Arrhythmias, also known as cardiac arrhythmias, heart
arrhythmias, or dysrhythmias, are irregularities of the heartbeat, which
include conditions where the heartbeat is too fast or too slow; and

WHEREAS, Tachycardia is used to describe heartbeats that are too
fast, above 100 beats per minute in adults, and bradycardia, which
refers to a significantly slow heart rate below 60 beats per minute; and

WHEREAS, Ventricular fibrillation is the deadliest heart rhythm
during which your ventricles quiver with your atria, thereby, hindering
blood supply throughout your body, including heart muscles; and

WHEREAS, Symptoms may include palpitations or a feeling of a pause
between heartbeats, however, certain types of arrhythmias have no
symptoms; in more serious cases, lightheadedness, passing out, shortness
of breath, or chest pain, among others, may occur; and

WHEREAS, The vast majority of arrhythmia cases are readily managed
and cured, though some individuals have complications such as stroke or
heart failure, and sometimes death; arrhythmia can also occur in
children, and regular smokers are prone to it; and

WHEREAS, Over the past four decades, there has been significant
progress in efforts to understand and manage cardiac arrhythmias; the
combination of programmed electrical stimulation of the heart with
intracardiac activation reading and recording was an important
development in this effort near the end of the 1960s; and

WHEREAS, This procedure helped in the localization of the exact site
of the obstruction in the atrioventricular conduction system in patients
suffering from bradycardia and the identification of the original site
and the mechanism of supraventricular and ventricular tachycardia; and

WHEREAS, Everyone experiences arrhythmia at some point in their
lives; while it may be harmless for those free of heart disease, some
irregular heartbeats can be serious or fatal; and

WHEREAS, One-fifth of all arrhythmic deaths are sudden and
unexpected; the most important issue remains focusing on the prevention
of the occurrence of these unnecessary deaths; and

WHEREAS, There are many ways for individuals to get involved, from
getting their heart examined, donating to the cause, making time for
more physical exercise, to learning more about the condition and sharing
their knowledge with others; and

WHEREAS, It is imperative that there be greater public awareness of
this devastating medical condition and more must be done to increase
activity at the local, state and national levels to promote screening
and support patients and their families; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim June 7-13, 2023, as Heart
Rhythm Week in the State of New York; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New
York, and to the Arrhythmia Alliance.